Integrated circuit packages come in a variety of form factors for an integrated circuit (IC) package. Surface mount device (SMD) standards, such as small-outline (SO) standards, and more specifically small-outline transistor (SOT) standards, define industry standard integrated circuit (IC) form factors, that include Electronic Industries Association of Japan (EIAJ) and Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC). SOT's come in several different packages and pinouts. For example, SOT can come in SOT23, SOT457/SC-74, SOT323/SC-70, SOT363/SC-88, SOT416/SC75, SOT666 and SOT883/SC-101. Due to their respectively smaller size, SOTs have less die area. Moreover, package sizes continue to shrink in size and/or to include more functionality within the same package size. This can lead to competing demands between size, power, operating voltages and the like.
SOIC packages can contain various types of discrete devices including, but not limited to transistors. A specific type of transistor is a bipolar transistor. Bipolar transistors are subject to problems associated with electrostatic discharge (ESD) pulses. ESD pulses can cause extremely high currents and the resulting voltage can damage oxides. For instance, ESD pulses can damage oxides used to insulate IC components. ESD pulses can also damage active or passive IC components made from semiconductor materials such as silicon and polysilicon (e.g., polysilicon resistors).
In a more specific example, ESD pulses have currents that can substantially exceed the normal operating parameters of a transistor, thereby damaging the device. For example, an ESD pulse introduced from the input terminal (connected to the base of the transistor) to the collector terminal or the emitter terminal of the transistor is forced to pass through the transistor. ESD protection continues to present challenges that have not been addressed or often even considered.